Women's organization in North Africa and the Middle East condemns Turkey's targeting of journalists

The Regional Coordination of the International March of Women in North Africa and the Middle East strongly condemned the Turkish occupation state's attack on journalists GUlestan Tara and Hiro Baha al-Din in the Sayed Sadiq district of the city of Sulaymaniyah in S. Kurdistan, Friday (August 23).

This came in a statement that we received a copy of, that reads:

"Two journalists were martyred on Friday in an aerial attack carried out by the occupying Turkish state on a car, which was carrying journalists in the Sayed Sadiq area of Sulaymaniyah government. The two martyrs, Hêro Bahadîn and Gulistan Tara, were working as part of a media team for Jeter Company. The martyr, Hêro Bahadîn, was specialized in montage. She is a resident of the Sankaw area in Sulaymaniyah. She has dedicated her life to media work in Kurdistan. While martyr, Gulistan Tara, is from the city Batman in northern Kurdistan. She has been a professional journalist since 2000 and a prominent member of the Free Media Institution.

This merciless attack is part of a series of Turkish attacks on the Kurdistan Region. Six other journalists were also injured in this incidence.

These crimes are against the growing global feminist movement. The women of the Middle East and North Africa are witnesses of crisis. The goal of the attacks is to break their will and to suppress their aspirations for freedom and equality. These attacks by masculine dictatorships are just a reflection of deep fears towards radical changes led by women's struggles. It is a struggle that has become a symbol of hope and freedom in the face of oppression and tyranny.

As coordination of the regions North Africa and the Middle East of the World March of Women, we strongly condemn the Turkish state, which is continuing to target journalists in it’s ongoing attempts to silence free voices that seek to uncover the truth. These criminal attacks are part of a systematic politic to eliminate the truth and break the will of the Kurdish nation and the nations of the region. The targeting of activist journalists like Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn is clear proof of the extent of the fear that controls these oppressive regimes toward the ability of women to change reality and revolutionize societal awareness.

The silence of the international community, and the Iraqi state particularly, on these gross violations is a collusion with these crimes and gives a green light for more attacks. The targeting of journalists is a part of a wider strategy that aims to silence anyone who dares to expose injustice and uncover the truth.

It is important to mention that according to international laws targeting journalists is a war crime and states and regimes that practice this kind of gross violation of human rights and free press must be punished.

The systematic targeting of women in the Middle East and North Africa today is not just an attempt to suppress their movement, it is an attack on truth itself. We are witnessing murders, detentions, death sentences, and the systematic targeting of women leaders, all with the aim of undermining women's free spirit of resistance.

In this context, we ask all feminist forces around the world to join hands and unite to confront these challenges. We need to strengthen our feminist front regionally and globally to face oppressive regimes that aim to break women's struggles and miscarry their aspirations. Cross border feminist solidarity is an urgent necessity at this difficult time, especially when women are at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and justice.

Finally, we assure that these crimes will not prevent us from continuing our struggle. On the contrary, the blood of the martyrs will be fuel to ignite more struggles until we reach our goal of achieving freedom and equality. We will continue raising the voice of truth and stand strong in the face of injustice and persecution, believing in the philosophy of “Women, Life, Freedom” as a way towards a bright and just future for all women."

Sh-S

ANHA